JJ will Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna "without Israel"
"It is very disappointing that Israel is still participating in the competition," the Spanish newspaper "El País" quoted the 24-year-old. "I would like the Eurovision Song Contest to take place in Vienna next year, without Israel. But the ball is now in the EBU's court. We artists can only express our opinions." Political reactions followed.
In a video circulating on social media, the 24-year-old said: "I am very disappointed that Russia was excluded and Israel was not." Both are aggressors.
Reactions from JJ and ORF
In response to an APA inquiry, the current ESC winner somewhat qualified his statements through his record label Warner: "I am sorry if my words were misunderstood. Although I criticize the Israeli government, I condemn any form of violence against civilians anywhere in the world - whether against Israelis or Palestinians. I will not comment further on this topic."
"JJ's statements reflect his private opinion and are not related to ORF," emphasized the media house: "For ORF, music and artistic performances are the focus at the ESC. The EBU also has clear guidelines that separate politics from entertainment. It is the only authority that decides on the participation or exclusion of countries."
European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decides on Israel's participation in 2026
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is an association of broadcasters from 56 countries and the organizer of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), which has existed since 1956. In light of JJ's statements, the EBU now emphasized that as a union, it is an association of public broadcasters, not a union of governments. Not least, it also sees it as a task to enable the Israeli member broadcaster KAN to have a future as a public media house and to protect it against the threat of privatization or closure by the Israeli government.
"The EBU is not immune to global events, but it is our task, together with our members, to ensure that the contest remains at its core a universal event that promotes connection and diversity through music," the EBU further stated: "It is not our task to draw comparisons between conflicts."
"I would very much like to meet JJ in person and talk to him about all these topics," said Israel's ambassador to Austria, David Roet, via X. "I warmly invite him to visit Israel - I am sure Yuval (Note: Yuval Raphael, Israel's ESC participant and survivor of the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023) would also be happy to meet him. Sometimes hearing a different perspective can make a big difference."
Oskar Deutsch, President of the Jewish Community, stated via X: "JJ called for spreading love after the ESC. Now he joins the chorus of Israel-haters, turning Israeli victims into aggressors and dividing. This is disappointing, but above all dangerous."
"Completely misguided", "politically poorly advised"
"The statements of our Song Contest winner JJ are unacceptable. Wanting to exclude Israel from the ESC and equating it with Russia is completely misguided and historically ignorant," emphasized former National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP). Ignoring the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas - in which over 1,200 people were murdered, families destroyed, and numerous hostages abducted, many of whom are still in captivity today - while simultaneously demonizing Israel, serves dangerous anti-Semitic patterns.
"Terror and anti-Semitism have no place in our free, pluralistic society, just as little as sympathies for them," responded Alexander Pröll (ÖVP), State Secretary for the Fight against Anti-Semitism. The attempt to equate Russia with Israel amounts to a falsification of history.
"JJ is a great singer - but apparently politically dangerously poorly advised," judged Lower Austria's Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP). In Lower Austria, there would "in any case be no ESC without Israel."
Vienna's FPÖ leader Dominik Nepp took the opportunity to criticize the government by posting a photo showing JJ with the federal government on X and wrote: "This is how our federal government celebrates an anti-Semite - and thus makes him socially acceptable." Anyone who equates Israel's self-defense with Russia's war of aggression and mocks Jewish terror victims in Washington "with a like, has no place on the stage of the republic. Beware the beginnings!" said Nepp.
Even Last Year's Winner Nemo Advocated for Exclusion of Israel from the Song Contest
Israel's participation in the ESC has been repeatedly criticized in recent months. The background is the war against the terrorist organization Hamas, which Israel is conducting in the Palestinian Gaza Strip. This began after the massacre by Palestinian terrorists in Israel in October 2023. Since then, more than 50,000 people have died in the Gaza Strip.
Nemo, who was successful for Switzerland in last year's Song Contest, also openly advocated for the exclusion of Israel. Similarly, 70 former ESC participants recently expressed themselves in an open letter.
Israel's ESC Candidate: Survivor of the Terror Attack
For Israel, singer Yuval Raphael (24) competed last Saturday evening. She is a survivor of the terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. At that time, she was with a friend at the Nova Music Festival, where terrorists from the Gaza Strip carried out a massacre.
Her song "New Day Will Rise" landed in 2nd place in the ESC final in Basel behind JJ, with Israel even winning the public vote. JJ, in turn, scored particularly well with the professional juries, which ultimately secured the victory for him and thus Austria.
(APA/Red.)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.